State Space Search

Classic AI
 State Space representation of a
problem is a graph
Nodes correspond to problem states
Arcs correspond to steps in a solution
process
One node corresponds to an initial
state
One node corresponds to a goal state
 Solution Path
An ordered sequence of nodes from
the initial state to the goal state
 Search Algorithm
Finds a solution path through a state
space
 The Water Jug Problem

Suppose we have
An empty 4 gallon jug

An empty 3 gallon jug

A source of water

A task: put 2 gallons of water in the

4 gallon jug
 Representation
State Space
Node on the graph is an ordered pair
(x,y)
X is the contents of the 4 gallon jug
Y is the contents of the 3 gallon jug
Intitial
State: (0,0)
Goal State: (2,N) N {0, 1, 2, 3}
 Rules
1. if x < 4, fill x : (x,y) (4,y)
2. if y < 3, fill y : (x,y) (x,3)
3. if x > 0, empty x : (x,y) (0,y)
4. if y > 0, empty y : (x,y) (x,0)
5. if (x+y) >= 4 and y > 0
fill the 4 gallon jug from the 3 gallon jug
(x,y) (4, y (4 x))
6. if (x+y) >= 3 and x > 0
Fill the 3 gallon jug from the 4 gallon jug
(x,y) (x (3 y), 3))
7. if (x+y) <= 4 and y > 0
Pour the 3 gallon jug into the 4 gallon jug: (x,y) (x+y), 0)
8. if (x+y) <= 3 and x > 0
pour the 4 gallon jug into the 3 gallon jug: (x,y) (0, x + y)
 Is there a solution path?
Initial State: (0,0)
Goal State: (2,N)
 Breadth First Search
(0,3)
1 2

(4,0) (0,3)
(0,3)
6 7
2

(3,0)
(4,3) (1,3)

etc
 (0,0)
Depth First
(4,0) 1
2

3 (4,3)

7 (0,3)

(3,0)
2

(3,3)

Etc. and without visiting

already visited states
 Backward/Forward Chaining
Search can proceed
1. From data to goal

2. From goal to data

Either could result in a successful

search path, but one or the other
might require examining more
nodes depending on the
circumstances
Data to goal is called forward chaining
for data driven search

Goal to data is called backward

chaining or goal driven search
 Examples
Water jug was data driven
Grandfather problem was goal driven

To make water jug goal driven:

Begin at (2,y)
Determine how many rules could
produce this goal
Follow these rules backwards to the
start state
 Object

Reduce the size of the search space

 Use Goal Driven
if
Goal is clearly stated
Many rules match the given facts
For example: the number of rules
that conlude a given theorem is
much smaller than the number that
may be applied to the entire axiom
set
 Use Data Driven
If
Most data is given at the outset
Only a few ways to use the facts
Difficult to form an initial hypothesis
For example: DENDRAL, an expert system
that finds molecular structure of organic
compounds based on spectrographic data.
There are lots of final possibilities, but
only a few ways to use the initial data
Said another way: initial data constrains
search